Second-half surge takes Madrid past Maccabi

Great starts to the third and fourth quarters sent Real Madrid to a 91-79 home win over Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv on Thursday in the first game of the new year for both teams. Madrid remains in second place with a 13-3 record, while Maccabi stays 13th at 5-11. Gustavo Ayon led six Madrid scorers in double digits with 18 points to go with his game-high 9 rebounds. Rudy Fernandez added 13 points, Trey Thompkins 12, Sergio Llull, Anthony Randolph and Facundo Campazzo 11 each. Llull had 10 assists of Madrid's 23 assists. Maccabi got 23 points on 6-for-7 three-point shooting from Michael Roll. Alex Tyus added 17 points and Angelo Caloiaro 13 in Maccabi's eighth consecutive loss on Madrid's court. Maccabi was led at times in the first half, which ended in a 44-44 tie, but Madrid runs of 20-6 right after the break and 18-7 run to start the final quarter were too much for the visitors to overcome.

Caloiaro's 6 quick points staked an early 3-7 lead for Maccabi. After drawing 5 fouls in 2 minutes, Maccabi stayed aggressive as Tyus exploded dunked to make it 7-12. Fernandez and Randolph struck from deep in an 8-0 surge that gave Madrid a 15-12 lead that Maccabi trimmed to 21-19 after one quarter. The teams traded shots and leads, including Nimrod Levi's first EuroLeague points on triple. Johnny O'Bryant tied it 31-31, but Thompkins broke it with his third three-pointer of the quarter. Maccabi was not buying, however, and soon Roll fed Tyus for a go-ahead dunk at 38-39. Roll was back with his fourth triple in as many tries to assure a 44-44 halftime tie. Llull, scoreless until then, drilled 5 points and Campazzo had a four-point play in a 15-6 run after the break as Madrid soared in front by 59-50. Llull added another triple and assist as the lead hit a high of 64-50. Maccabi rallied behind Roll for a 10-0 run before Madrid took a 69-62 advantage into the fourth quarter. Fernandez stepped up with a steal and a three-point play to restore a 75-65 advantage as Madrid opened the final quarter with an 18-7 run to decide the game once and for all.

Llull's revival

Having been held to single-figure scoring in three of his last four games, Sergio Llull looked as though his slump would continue when he went scoreless in the first half. After the break, however, he led Madrid's surge with 8 points, 3 assists and a steal in the first 9 minutes of the third quarter, with his second-three-pointer supplying the game's high lead, 64-50. He would go on to record his first double-double – 11 points and 10 assists – since getting the same numbers at home on March 10, 2017 against Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade.

Madrid's revenge

With a 2-0 sweep of Maccabi this season, Madrid has now won 12 of their last 15 games dating to December of 2011, including eight consecutively at home. One of Maccabi's wins, however, was in overtime of the 2014 championship game. For that, Madrid continues getting its revenge.

Roll's super stroke

Until he missed his first three-pointer on his seventh try with 28 seconds left to play, Maccabi guard Michael Roll was working the EuroLeague's most perfect shooting night from deep in almost three years. He finished 6 for 7 from downtown, which nonetheless matched the second-highest total ever reached by a Maccabi player and the highest percentage with so many triples made in the club's 410 games EuroLeague games this century.

Next round

Real Madrid stays in Spain but nonetheless changes time zones for a road trip to Herbalife Gran Canaria in Round 17. Maccabi goes back to Tel Aviv to try to regroup against Buducnost VOLI Podrogica.

Head Coaches

LASO, PABLO

Real Madrid

"I think in the second half, we raised our energy a little bit. We still played with mistakes, but we had energy. We were able to rebound, defend, contest shots. And that gave us the rhythm of the game. We played smarter in the second half, moving the ball better. We got a good advantage in a difficult game, which we knew from the beginning. In the fourth quarter, we played pretty solid defensively. We were able to rebound and control their shooters, and after that were able to move the ball better and have a big lead. We're happy for the victory."

SFAIROPOULOS, IOANNIS

Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv

"I want to congratulate Real Madrid for the win. I think in the second half they played much better. For us, I think we started the game concentrated, although we did not do as well defensively as we can. With our good offense, we were in the game until the finish of the first half. I think in the second half, we were not focused, especially at the beginning. In those first three-and-a-half minutes, we allowed a lot of points from our opponents, and this double-digit lead that they got, they kept. In the last period, we tried to come back. We cut the difference, I think, to six or seven points. If, in that moment, we could have been a little more aggressive defensively and offensively, we could have done something better. But it's not easy in an away game when you allow your opponent to score 91 points. We will continue, and of course, we need to improve our defense."

Players

LLULL, SERGIO

Real Madrid

"I think that we just kept playing. We improved our defense in the second half. On offense, I think we moved the ball better. It was a great team effort and we are happy for this first victory in 2019. It's really important for us that the crowd helps us. When we play at home it's always easier for us, and we try to play good basketball so that they enjoy it."

FERNANDEZ, RUDY

Real Madrid

"The second half we were more aggressive on defense, and probably this was the reason we won. Gustavo [Ayon] and I know each other well, and we try to improve every game, so we won and we are happy about this."

TYUS, ALEX

Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv

"We just had a lack of concentration in the second half. We gave up some easy baskets and then they kind of picked up their offense a bit. I thought that overall we played a tough game, but next time we just need to play a 40-minute game. We can play with anybody. We were in the game for the majority of it; we made a run after they made a run. So we're just trying to lock down, play a 40-minute game and just try to get better."

ROLL, MICHAEL

Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv

"We came out and we fought definitely great in the first half. We were really spirited out there, but in the end we ended up giving too many points. We wanted to try and keep them around 75 to 80. When they are scoring 90, they are a really tough team to beat, especially at home. We're definitely coming together as a unit we went toe to toe with a very, very good team. Just couple of small plays and we were there for the win."